The bottom line is that if you have the money to buy a $3,000 dollar DSLR, then do it. Otherwise, any camera below that is going to be pretty similar in photo quality. I can say with confidence that this little camera shoots like a $2,000 dollar DSLR. And probably with a high quality lense will shoot pictures that look like a $3,000 DSLR.
It came down to three options for a go-to everyday camera. The A66, the NEX-7, and the NEX-5r. Picture quality is virtually the same. Unless you want to print poster size pics, you don't need a 20+ mp camera. For amateur and digital only photography (no printing), 16 mp are more than enough. With features like WiFi for easy transfer to smartphones or computers, the NEX-5r is the best camera for the amateur photographer.
